Sis, you are wearing a lot of hats and doing a lot of things. You may be a faithful wife. Or perhaps you are a supportive sister and devoted daughter. At work you are going above and beyond to outperform your peers. And yet somehow you still feel invisible. I’ve been there before. So many times, we want the approval and affirmation of others. We want them to see us working hard, making progress, or doing something new. We want them to notice us.
I want to remind you today that
even when people don’t see you, God always does.
The Father’s eyes are always on you. As you are tempted to wallow in the discouragement of invisibility, I encourage you to keep going. Keep believing. Your efforts are not in vain. Neither are they going unnoticed. You are not invisible. God sees you!
I’ve heard children describe their parents as “having eyes in the back of their head” because it seems like their parents don’t miss anything. God is like that. He embodies all the attributes of a good father, including seeing all things. He doesn’t miss anything. Today I invite you to get to know the Father as El Roi — the God who sees. His eyes are always on you.
When it feels like others can’t, don’t, or simply won’t, remember that God sees you.
Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” — Genesis 16:13
Prayer Prompt
Lord, thank You for being El Roi. Thank You for seeing me! I will keep going knowing that my effort is not in vain...
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Intimacy with God
When you hear the word “intimacy,” what comes to mind? Something physical or tangible? A feeling or knowing? I think of intimacy as closeness and familiarity. As I look across standard examples and definitions, one thing is clear: intimacy requires vulnerability. Yet somehow the word “vulnerability” has gotten a bad rap. We’ve misidentified vulnerability with weakness and put things in place to avoid being seen as such. The result is us doing “all the right things” based on ritual or tradition. Though these are necessary things, they don’t always allow us to really get to know the Lord. They are not a replacement for true intimacy with God.
When we come into relationship with a friend or spouse, we crave a certain level of connection. We desire to know as much as we can about the individual — their likes and dislikes. Similarly with business partners, we want to understand how they operate, what makes them move the needle of success. As new parents we take in everything about our children—counting their fingers and toes, breathing in their scent. All of these things point to intimacy. This is key in having a strong relational foundation. Likewise, intimacy is required for a strong relationship with the Lord.
- Choose today to spend time learning true intimacy with Him.
The intimate place is a safe place, one of power and true transformation. The intimate place is where you learn real love. The spiritual discipline of intimacy (seeking to know Him personally) should be our response to Him. A beautiful part of building intimacy with God is that there’s no risk of Him not responding favorably.
When you share with Him, He will share with you. The intimacy is reciprocal, and this exchange of intimacy is love responding to love.
Come close to God, and God will come close to you. — James 4:8
Prayer Prompt
Father, draw me close to You! I desire to be fully vulnerable with You...
Excerpted with permission from Remain in His Love by Dr. Jackie Greene, copyright Dr. Jackie Greene.
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Your Turn
Let’s end the year reaching for God knowing that He sees us and loves us! Even if no one else notices our hard work and the way we try hard to love well and do good things, the Lord sees all of it and cheers us on. Let’s lean into Him and enjoy His affirmation and approval! What a great way to leave one year and enter another! ~ Devotionals Daily